Dennett Road Manor Nursing Home, has Registered Nurses who help
provide 24-hour care to people who can no longer care for
themselves due to physical, emotional, or mental conditions. A
licensed physician supervises each patientís care and a nurse or
other medical professional is almost always on the premises.
Most nursing homes have two basic types of services: skilled
medical care and custodial care.

Skilled medical care
includes services of trained professionals that are needed for a
limited period of time following an injury or illness:

An R.N. doing wound care and changing dressings after a
major surgery, or administering and monitoring I.V.
antibiotics for a severe infection.

A physical therapist helping to correct strength and
balance problems that have made it difficult for a patient
to walk or get on and off the bed, toilet or furniture.

A speech therapist helping a person regain the ability
to communicate after a stroke.

An occupational therapist helping a person relearn
independent self-care in areas such as dressing, grooming
and eating.

Skilled care may also be needed on a long term basis if a
resident requires injections, ventilation or other treatment of
that nature.

Custodial or personal careincludes assistance with what are known as the activities of
daily living, such as:

bathing

dressing

eating

grooming

getting in and out of bed, or walking around

toileting (incontinence care)

People who are able to recover from a disabling injury or
illness, may temporarily need the custodial care as they are
getting back the strength and balance to be independent again.
For people who are losing their ability to function
independently due to chronic disease and increasing frailty,
custodial care may be a long-term need. In the most severe
cases where a person is bed-bound, ongoing supervision by an RN
is necessary along with the custodial care, to ensure proper
hydration and nutrition and to prevent skin breakdown. If a
custodial care resident becomes ill or injured, they may spend a
period of time in skilled care, and then return to custodial
care. Whether a resident is under skilled or custodial care is
important in terms of who provides the care and who pays for the
services provided.